


An Eye For an Eye

by Holde_Maid



Series: Highlander50_-_Methos [7]
Category: Highlander: The Series
Genre: Community: highlander50, LiveJournal Prompt, Originally Posted on LiveJournal, Prompt Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2007-04-11
Updated: 2007-04-11
Packaged: 2018-07-18 05:37:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 825
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7301611
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Holde_Maid/pseuds/Holde_Maid
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Methos has to stay watchful.</p>
            </blockquote>





	An Eye For an Eye

**Author's Note:**

> Claim: Methos (which does NOT mean I own him, or any part of the Highlander universe)  
> Prompt: Watcher.  
> Rating/Warnings: PG-13, I suppose  
> Word count: 830  
> Disclaimer: Neither the characters nor the Highlander universes are mine. Also, no harm intended and no profit made.  
> Author's Note: Thanks to jinxed_wood for the prompt!  
> Prompt Table: http://holde-maid.livejournal.com/11492.html#cutid2

Methos had noticed the little man in the crowd because of his beady eyes. They reminded him of a small bird. He had seen those eyes before.  
  
As soon as the little man noticed he was being watched, he turned around quickly. The beady eyes were closed for a moment. The man said something to his neighbour. When the other nodded, he beat a hasty retreat.  
  
Now he thought about it, he knew the other one, as well. Who were they? Guards off duty? Beggars? Thieves, even? It was hard to say if you saw nothing but the head. Everything else was largely screened off by the surrounding crowd.  
  
Methos made a mental note to inquire whether anything was missing. And to draw the two faces and see if anyone recognised them.  
  


\- - - - -

  
Power, even at this fairly low level, had its little advantages. For one, you could have someone find out whatever took your fancy. Always supposing you didn't mind telling them what you were curious about. But then, as head of the castle guards, he was supposed to be curious about a great many things. What his underlings did in their spare time and whether undesirable subjects were in the vicinity certainly counted among them. He was expected to keep an eye out for danger. Nothing could possibly suit someone like him better.  
  


\- - - - -

  
A few days after he had set his men to keep an eye on the two suspicious individuals, he already knew a little more. The two were no thieves, apparently, but that made them no less suspicious. They kept watching the castle and, it seemed, Methos himself. And one of them kept writing things in a leatherbound book. That was strange, indeed, for vellum was none too cheap, and they looked every bit as poor as any peasant.  
  
Now Methos was sitting on his bed, pondering the situation. He could leave quietly, of course, but so far as he knew there was no Immortal nearby. If the two were an Immortal's spies, they would have to leave town to deliver their results. Also, the information they could provide would not be very helpful. No, leaving this very comfortable place could still be postponed.  
  
Another option he was not keen on was killing the two strangers. It was messy, unnecessary and wouldn't provide him with a iota of additional information.  
  
There was, however, torture. Could he risk that? Or was there a more subtle method of finding out what they were up to?  
  


\- - - - -

  
It was ridiculous how impossible the peasants obviously found recognising him when he was disguised as one of them. And they weren't pretending. The kicks he got from a few xenophobic males proved it. Of course being dragged away by the guards at the prearranged time helped, but even before then they had given him some abuse.  
  


\- - - - -

  
Even though the little charade had worked beautifully, the man with the beady eyes remained shy and nervous. At first, of course, all Methos' boasting of knowing "someone important" who would help him soon had been laughed at. They had thought he knew a guard or something like that. But when his food had been far better than theirs, they had been impressed. When he shared his food with them and told the guard to leave them alone, they were beginning to lose some of their distrust.  
  
He wasn't sure what it was, but obviously the less conspicuous one, Thomas Balthasar, had let something slip, because the beady-eyed one gave his arm a sharp slap. They withdrew from the cast iron grid that divided the two cells to quarrel in low tones.  
  
Phrases like "important mission" and "rotting here forever" drifted over, but not enough to know what their argument was about.  
  


\- - - - -

  
It took a few days, but eventually they decided to trust him. They told him they had to observe the head of the castle guard. When he asked why, the whole argument between them started all over again.  
  


\- - - - -

  
This time it had taken longer. Thomas had been unwilling to lie, and the beady-eyed one, Christopher, had told him there was no other way. For the next few days their sulking silences interrupted by more arguments had amused Methos. Now it got boring and unnerving. He had to return to his post soon.  
  
However, on the third day, they finally returned to the cast iron grid, driven by fear, hunger and sheer exhaustion. Finally. Methos had to suppress a wolfish grin.  
  
It was a strange little tale they told. About their mission. About "a kind of wizard paladins" who sounded oddly familiar. About their fears of not being able to complete their mission of finding out as much as possible about the head of the guard. But the strangest thing was the reason they gave for this: "It is our holy duty to serve and record, and not interfere."  
  
He’d certainly have to keep an eye on them and their likes.


End file.
